Wicked Shadows
A. D. Justice
Contents
WICKED SHADOWS
STEELE SECURITY SERIES
PROLOGUE
1. CHAPTER ONE
2. CHAPTER TWO
3. CHAPTER THREE
4. CHAPTER FOUR
5. CHAPTER FIVE
6. CHAPTER SIX
7. CHAPTER SEVEN
8. CHAPTER EIGHT
9. CHAPTER NINE
10. CHAPTER TEN
11. CHAPTER ELEVEN
12. CHAPTER TWELVE
13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
16. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
18. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
19. CHAPTER NINETEEN
20. CHAPTER TWENTY
21. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
22. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
23. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
24. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
25. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DOMINIC POWERS SERIES
HER DOM
CHAPTER ONE
Also by A. D. Justice
WICKED SHADOWS
Part I
STEELE SECURITY SERIES
Book 5
A.D. JUSTICE
WICKED SHADOWS.
Copyright © 2017 A.D. Justice.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, resold, or transmitted in any form without written permission from the copyright holder, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. If the location is an actual place, all details of said place are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to businesses, landmarks, living or dead people, and events is purely coincidental.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All copyrights are held by A.D. Justice and have not been transferred to any other individual. Sharing or posting of this material in any group is considered copyright infringement and will be reported to the authorities. Criminal and civil charges will be pursued for damages.
Cover designed by Cover Me, Darling.
Cover photo by Eric Battershell Photography/FITography
Cover model Zeke Samples
PROLOGUE
Twenty-One Years Prior
Elle Moore crouched low to the ground, darting from her hiding spot behind a shrub to a new position behind a tree. Her best friend and partner-in-crime, Beth Condra, followed her, staying close on her heels until she joined Elle behind the huge oak tree. Elle covered her lips with her index finger, indicating for her cohort to remain silent before she pointed toward the driveway they were casing.
“He’s standing beside Jeff’s car,” Elle whispered and dropped to her knees on the ground. “Peek around the tree, but don’t let them see you.”
Beth slowly knelt, keeping her eyes locked on Elle’s. “What if they see me? What should I do?”
"Just do it real slow." Elle emphasized the words with an emphatic pump of her arms, her fingers spread wide and her palms down.
“Okay.” Beth put one hand on the ground to steady herself and peered around the tree, her movements painstakingly measured. “I see him. He’s with Jeff. And he’s not wearing a shirt!”
“What? Let me see!”
Elle jerked Beth back and quickly assumed her partner’s vantage point. She was mesmerized by the black-haired, muscular young man with her brother. “Oh my gosh,” she gasped. “Is he supposed to do that out here? He’s almost naked. What if someone calls the cops on him?”
His athletic shorts sat low on his waist, revealing all of his upper body, from his broad shoulders to his narrow, muscular waist. Elle blatantly stared, completely enraptured by his presence, and wished there were a tree closer to the driveway so she could get a closer look at him, her hero.
“I don’t know why we’re even doing this. I mean, he’s old, Elle. He’s, like, in high school or something,” Beth complained, suddenly bored with their mission. “Why don’t you just go out with Scott? He likes you a lot. He keeps asking you to be his girlfriend.”
Elle shook her head from side to side but kept her eyes trained on her singular focus. “Scott’s all right, I guess. But no one else will ever compare to Devon Kane. I’m gonna marry him one day, Beth. You just wait. Besides, the house down the street is for sale. Maybe we can live there.”
“Yeah, that's a good idea. Then you'll still be close to home," Beth agreed, with all of her youthful wisdom. "It’s too hot for this, Elle. Let’s go swimming already. You promised we’d get in your pool today.”
“In a minute.” Elle automatically dismissed her friend’s demand. “They’re washing Jeff’s car. They don’t know we’re here.”
Unable to tear her eyes away, embarrassment and panic grew wild when Devon turned his gaze and met hers. His dazzling smile made her blush just before he raised his hand beside his face and gave her a small, knowing wave of his fingers. Her jaw dropped, her eyes flew open wide, and her muscles froze in place.
She was so busted.
Jeff was leaned over, washing the side of his Mustang GT when Devon’s movement caught his eye. Jeff followed Devon’s line of sight, and anger hit him as soon as he spotted the girls hiding behind the tree.
“Elle Marie Moore, get over here right now!” Jeff yelled across the front yard and threw his soapy mitt in the bucket.
“He used your whole name,” Beth whispered, her tone rife with fear. “That’s not good.”
Elle considered her options. She could pretend she didn’t hear him and run like the wind to the backyard, or accept the consequences and get it all over with at once by doing what he said. Resigned to the fact that there was no other choice but to live in the same house with her brother for the next few years, Elle decided to go with the latter rather than the former. Her eyes downcast, her bottom lip quivered as she maintained a death grip on her best friend’s hand. The pair of seven-year-old, towheaded girls marched across the grass toward Jeff and Devon. Each step brought more dread than the last and made Elle’s feet feel like they were weighted down with cement blocks.
She chanced a glance at Jeff but quickly dropped her eyes again when she saw his arms folded over his chest and an irritated expression boring straight through her. She’d been caught spying on them in the past, but that had been many spy missions before this one. She thought she’d improved her technique since then, but apparently, she was too sloppy. Future excursions would require more stealth, more craftiness, and much better hiding places.
“Elle, what have I told you about spying on us?” Jeff demanded.
“Not to,” she mumbled.
“Why do you keep doing it? It’s weird. You’re creeping me out.”
“Because she’s in lov—” Beth almost told on Elle, but Elle jerked her arm down hard and cut her eyes at her friend.
“Shut up, Beth,” she hissed. Glancing up at her brother, she continued. Her voice quivered almost as much as her legs shook. “We’re playing a game. It’s not a big deal, Jeff.”
“Would it be a big deal if I tell Mom to ground you from the pool all summer?” Jeff taunted.
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over her lower lids then slid down her cheeks before they dropped onto the concrete below. “No
, Jeff,” she pleaded. “I didn’t do anything to you.”
Two large hands slid under her arms and hoisted her up in the air. Before she knew what was happening, she was held by protective, muscular arms against a warm, bare chest. “Leave her alone, man.” Devon’s tone held a strict warning. “She’s just a little kid having fun playing outside. Quit being so damn mean to her all the time.”
Elle looked up at Devon, devotion shining in her big, gorgeous, hazel eyes. He wiped the lingering tears from her cheeks and talked to her with the kindest timbre in his voice. “Hey, it’s okay, Elle. Don’t cry, sweetheart. You’re my girl, aren’t you?”
Unable to speak, she nodded her head enthusiastically.
“Then you should know I’ll take care of you. I’ll kick Jeff’s ass if he’s mean to you again. No more crying. Okay?”
That elicited a small smile from her, and shyness took over, forcing her to avert her eyes. "Okay."
“Whatever game y’all are playing isn’t bothering us. Go have fun, darlin’.”
“Okay, we will.”
Devon put her down, and Elle stood rooted to her spot for a few seconds before she tilted her head back to look up at him again. Even at sixteen years old, Devon was taller and thicker than any of Jeff’s other friends, but he never once made her feel like she was a nuisance to him. A small smile played on his lips while he waited for her to say what was on her mind.
“You’re my hero, Devon.”
“And you’ll always be my girl, Elle. You remember that when you get to be my age and all those boys are hitting on you.” Devon winked at her, causing the butterflies in her stomach to flutter and turn somersaults in her belly.
“Let’s go swim already,” Beth complained.
With her heart full and a smile permanently affixed to her face, Elle wordlessly grabbed Beth’s hand. The two rushed to the backyard to join Elle’s mom in the pool.
The scorching Georgia sun didn’t faze Elle at all that day as she and Beth jumped into the lukewarm pool water. Devon’s words kept ringing in her ears. “You’re my girl, aren’t you?”
“What the hell was that about?” Jeff’s tone was accusatory when he turned to Devon.
“She wasn’t doing anything but watching us, man. You’re way too mean to her. We did a lot worse when we were her age. In case you haven’t noticed, your little sister is already pretty for her age. She’s going to be a knockout when she gets older. And she’s smart as a whip.
“If you don’t quit being such a dick to her, she won’t come to you later when she needs your help. And believe me, she’ll have guys all over her when she hits our age. She’ll need you, and you’d better be there for her, or I’ll kick your ass then, too. You should be glad you have a little sister who even wants to be around you.”
“I fucking hate it when you’re right,” Jeff huffed.
“Then I guess you’re always hating on me, huh?” Devon laughed, lightening the mood.
“Hey, you weren’t right about that algebra test. I almost had to go to summer school over that.”
“No, my answers were right. You weren’t wearing your glasses and wrote down the wrong thing.”
The two best friends finished washing their cars before they joined the rest of Jeff's family in the pool. Jeff's parents, Danny and Tanya, best friends and long-time neighbors of Devon’s parents, were like a second mom and dad to Devon. Mark, Jeff's younger brother and the middle child, worshiped the older boys almost as much as Elle did.
Watching the interactions between the close-knit family was bittersweet for Devon. The shadows of memories from his childhood were always on the fringe of his happiness, waiting to bring him down.
“You’re doing what?” Tracey asked. Her hands dropped to her side, and she leaned toward her son.
“I’m joining the CIA. They offered me the perfect job, so I can’t very well turn it down.”
“You didn’t say it was just a CIA job. You said you were joining the black ops team. That means you’ll be a spy, doen’t it?”
“Among other things. Yes.”
“Why are you doing this, Devon? You just got out of the Army. How many tours did you do in the Middle East? I lost count! Now you’ll be permanently undercover, and I’ll have no way of knowing if you’re dead or alive. I’m your mother—I need more of a reason than it’s ‘the perfect job.’ You have to help me out here.”
He pulled a chair out and sat, joining his father Phil at the table. His fingers traced invisible patterns on the table while he avoided their heavy stares. His voice was uncharacteristically low when he spoke. “When Ava disappeared, I was supposed to be watching her. But I got distracted—I don’t even know for how long. When I looked up, she was gone. The whole time we searched for her, I wanted to tell you it was all my fault but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I figured when we found her, you’d be too happy to punish me for not watching her. But we never found her. And I’ve never forgiven myself. This is my way of helping other people, even if they never know I’ve helped them.”
Phil cleared his throat nervously, fighting the emotions welling up in his throat and constricting his ability to breathe. Tears flowed across Tracey’s cheeks as she rushed to her son’s side. She stroked his hair before holding his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her when she spoke.
“Devon, you were only nine years old. You were not responsible for watching your little sister. You were not responsible for Ava’s abduction, and you couldn’t have stopped it even if you tried. A grown man took her, and he could’ve taken you too. There isn’t a day that goes by your father and I don’t thank God to have you. You don’t have to do this to make amends for Ava. We love you. Ava worshiped you. We’ve never blamed you for what happened, and we never will.”
“I need to do this, Mom. It’s important to me. I’ll be okay—I’m a big boy, and I can take care of myself now.” He gave her a small, reassuring smile before standing and pulling her into his arms. “I love you both. Don’t worry.”
“Devon, I’m your mother. It’s my job to worry about you.”
“If I find the man who took Ava, we’ll never have to worry about him taking another child again.”
Tracey sank into his arms a little farther, half in hope and half in fear he’d do just that.
1
CHAPTER ONE
Current Day
“Miss Sinclair, they’re ready for you.” One of the many runners announced through the closed door, letting her know the production crew had finished lighting the set for the next scene.
“I’ll be right there,” Elle called back.
So many other actresses would kill to be in her position. Her long, perfectly coiffed hair fell straight against her shoulders, the highlights and lowlights accentuating her facial features. Professionally applied makeup hid any minor skin imperfections that would’ve been magnified a hundred times on the big screen. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, barely remembering who she’d been before the madness of her life as a celebrity began. The one goal she’d worked so hard to attain had become the very thing she wanted to run away from most.
A second knock on the door meant the crew grew more impatient, ready to finish the scene so they could go home, only to start it all again early the next morning. Like a robot, Elle rose from her seat and plastered a smile on her face as she rejoined the cast and crew. She hid her irritation when she realized the set had been opened to a select group of entertainment news reporters to help create early buzz for the movie.
Even on lower-budget films she’d starred in, she normally insisted on a closed set to keep the paparazzi out—and anyone else hoping to capture the perfect shot to twist and misconstrue into sensationalized lies for headlines. Such was the life of a movie star, even one classified as an on-the-cusp A-lister like Elle. She’d already experienced the backlash of the vicious rumors that ran rampant through the entertainment circuit. The general public apparently believed every word printed in big, bold letters, even
without one shred of credible evidence.
Sex sells, but so do lies, she thought as she took her place beside her costar.
In front of the cameras, Jax Hart was charming and charismatic. His commanding presence on-screen filled the theater seats around the world and produced record-breaking opening weekends with each new release. Cast opposite him in any role was the absolute dream of every single actress, a sure bet to thrust her into the stratosphere of fame and fortune.
Off-screen, Jax Hart was actually Jason Hartman, and he was a far cry from the dashing and daring hero he pretended to be. Elle's agent, Ray Burke, often reminded her how hard he worked to land her the leading role, rather than a brief cameo appearance so many other models-turned-actresses would find themselves cast in. But she’d been in the entertainment business long enough to know exactly what Ray wasn’t saying.
He was getting something out of the deal.
A trade-off had been made to benefit him. Otherwise, Ray would've pushed one of his established A-list clients instead. Judging by Jax’s daily diva-worthy demands, she couldn’t help but think somehow, she’d drawn the short straw in Ray’s under-the-table deal. Regardless, if all the stars aligned, and the directors and editors worked their magic on this movie, she’d be able to pick and choose her future roles and possibly have a say regarding who the studio cast as her leading man.
With everyone in place, Elle switched gears in her mind and fully immersed herself into character. They’d reached another sex scene in the romantic drama storyline, and thankfully, it would be the last shot of the night. While Elle wanted nothing more than to get it over with and get away from her costar, she had to be convincing when she portrayed her character’s desperate love for Jax’s alter ego. As with every other scene, the only way she could even remotely do that was to lose herself in the memories of another man.
Wicked Shadows (Steele Security Book 5) Page 1